


Purple Perfection

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff with a hint of angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23306941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Jessica hopes this birthday will bring happiness back to her family.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 34
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Purple Perfection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vanillafluffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it 
> 
> **Notes:** written for vanillafluffy in comment_fic for the prompt of Prodigal Son, Jessica Whitley, She always made sure her children’s birthday parties were over the top. (Ainslee loves it. Malcolm, not so much)

XXX

Jessica sipped her coffee, the caffeine taking the edge off. She had looked forward to this day for weeks, hating that she had to bribe, more or less, several parents to let their children come over for Ainsley’s birthday. It wasn’t fair that the parents feared her child but of the girls who were there for Ainsley’s celebration, Jessica knew at least her daughter really liked them and would have a blast. Her children would always have the best if she had something to say about it. Ainsley loved all the attention. Malcolm tended to act like a cat in a bathtub about her birthday plans, even when Martin was still with them. Boys, they were mysterious creatures. At least they grew into men, and Jessica understood how to deal with them just fine.

“Where _is_ he?”

At Malcolm’s pained whine, Jessica turned from the playroom to see what her son was doing. He was looking out the window and she didn’t have to ask why. She’d given him permission to leave Ainsley’s birthday early. However, Gil Arroyo was late. “He’s a cop, Malcolm. Their job doesn’t always allow them to be on time.”

“He promised.” 

So much for reasoning with eleven year olds. She smiled and left Ainsley and the girls under the watchful eye of her nanny. Jessica put her arms around Malcolm, hugging him tight. “New York traffic is crazy, baby. Officer Arroyo will be here soon I’m sure. Go back in and play with your sister and her friends.”

“Detective Arroyo,” he corrected her. “Gil’s a detective now.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” She’d forgotten Gil had been promoted a few weeks ago but Malcolm had memorized everything about the man as if he had his stats on the back of a baseball card. She had worried at first until she had spent time herself with both Gil and his wife. She remembered his kindness to her in the interrogation room, seen how he was with Jackie and with Malcolm and she had no worries left about letting Malcolm spend time with the man. She gave Malcolm a gentle push toward the playroom. “Go play.”

He made such a comical face she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “There’s nothing but _girls_ in there!”

“You’ll appreciate that someday. You can play with your sister and her friends until Detective Arroyo gets here.” Jessica peeked back inside the room and caught her nanny’s eye as she propelled Malcolm inside. “Tash, would you like some coffee?”

The weary young woman shot her a hopeful glance. “I can get it for us, Mrs. Whitly.”

“No, you keep the girls entertained. I’ll grab the coffee.” 

Jessica really wanted to put a small tipple of whiskey in her coffee but those few people still talking to her, still allowing their girls to play with Ainsley, didn’t need to smell that on her breath and have one more reason to say no to their kids coming over. She carted the two mugs toward the playroom and was greeted by high pitched girlie laughter. Malcolm’s outraged protests echoed out the door. Jessica sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to go well and had some idea what was happening.

She strolled in and handed off a mug to Tash who was not rescuing Malcolm from the girls. Ainsley sat on her brother’s stomach, her purple sequined shift dress rucked up past her knees as she kept him pinned. Purple and silver, insanely flashy but the colors Ainsley was married to at the moment because – Jessica quoted – that’s the color of unicorns. Who was she to argue? In the dining room, where cake and snacks waited for the proper moment, purple flowers and silver-hued plates were on the table. In the corner of the playroom was an ‘altar’ to the theme, Miss Dior. Each girl - with their parents’ permission – were getting a bag of makeup and a small sample of Ainsley’s signature perfume.

At the moment, Ainsley had broken into one of the bags and the girls helped her busily turning Malcolm into a painted doll. Jessica had expected this might happen. Malcolm fussed and whined but she knew he’d put up with it for his sister’s sake. Jessica set aside her coffee and picked up her camera. Malcolm’s look of betrayal as she snapped a few pictures was so hysterical, Tash was giggling and Jess had to take a few more pictures.

“Moooom!” he moaned and Ainsley put her hand over his mouth.

“Hush! Can’t do your lipstick if you’re talking,” she scolded him and shamelessly held his chin so her best friend, Martiza could paint Malcolm’s lips with a metallic glittery purple lipstick that wasn’t exactly something Jessica actually liked but she had let Ainsley pick it out. Hopefully by the time her daughter was old enough to actually wear makeup outside, her tastes would be more sedate.

“Enough now, Ainsley. He’s as pretty as he’s going to get,” Jessica said gently.

Ainsley pinned Malcolm to the carpet, shaking her head. “We want to do his hair.”

“It’s not long enough,” Jessica replied as Tash went to carefully dislodge Ainsley from sitting on Malcolm’s stomach. 

He scrambled up, shooting stink eye to all the girls who just laughed even louder before turning to painting up each other with Tasha’s help. Jessica pulled Malcolm against her side as she walked him out of the room. 

“You’re a good brother.”

“I look stupid!”

“You haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Don’t have to. I know it’s stupid,” he argued as someone rang the bell. Malcolm sagged against her like someone cut his strings. “Mooooom, that’s Gil. He can’t see me like this.”

“You’ll live,” she said, hearing Erica opening the door. Her housekeeper escorted Gil their way.

“Hi kiddo, sorry I’m late. Are you read….” Gil trailed off, his eyes widening. “I guess not.”

“It’s my sister’s birthday! Mom _made_ me play with her.” Malcolm stamped his foot.

Gil chuckled. “I remember my sister doing something like that to me once.”

“I have some makeup remover already in his bathroom,” Jessica said, ruffling Malcolm’s hair. “I knew how this would go. Would you mind keeping an eye on the party with Tash while I run him up there and make sure he doesn’t get it in his eyes or something.”

“Moooom.” Malcolm wrinkled his nose. “I’m not a little kid.”

“Fine but you also don’t know what makeup remover is.” She gave him a light pat on the back and he took off up the stairs.

“I’ll keep an eye on the kids,” Gil said, grinning broadly and then said softly, “You did get pictures, right?”

She leaned in conspiratorially . “Of course.”

Jessica followed Malcolm upstairs, made sure he got all the makeup off and his face washed clean of the remover before she let him dart back downstairs. She grabbed something else she had left in his room, a gift bag. She carried it down to Gil who leaned in the playroom’s doorway. She handed it off to him. “For Jackie.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“It’s Ainsley’s signature perfume. I didn’t include the makeup. I didn’t think Jackie would like metallic purple.”

He chuckled. “No, probably not her color. But really? Ainsley has a signature perfume?”

Jessica waved him off. “She knows I have one so she _had_ to have one for her birthday. Her very life depended on it.” She smiled but it waivered as she remembered how much Martin had loved her signature scent.

“Thanks. Okay, kiddo, we’re going to the zoo, how’s that sound?” Gil asked Malcolm.

“I wouldn’t care if we just sat in the car and did nothing so long as there’re no little girls there!” Malcolm assured him.

Gil patted Malcolm’s shoulder. “I can’t promise the zoo’s girl free but I’m pretty sure they won’t be traveling in packs.”

“Protect me if they are.”

“You got it. Thanks, Jessica.” He hefted the bag. “I’ll have him back after dinner.”

“Thanks for giving him something to do before they put him in a dress or used him as a stuffed toy or something.” She laughed and watched them go.

Jessica headed back into the playroom where the girls were now dancing to loud music. Ainsley’s face practically glowed. It had taken awhile for that level of carefree to return to her baby girl but Jessica couldn’t say how happy it made her. The party might be indulgent and over the top but after all they had been through, Ainsley deserved every second of it. She couldn’t wait for her to see the big purple and silver floral cake and the gifts. Jessica took a picture of them dancing. The joy in Ainsley’s eyes, that was the best gift of the whole day.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a Miss Dior party (including signature scent) on instagram in an article about over the top kid's parties and it seemed like something Jess would do.


End file.
